(Milford)– The summer’s first documented case of West Nile Virus in a human in Iowa has local health officials again warning of the dangers of the disease.
Mary Dunleavy of the Dickinson County Public Health Department says it’s crucial you protect yourself from mosquitoes whenever you’re outdoors. She recommends wearing long pants, not going out in the early mornings and evenings when mosquitoes are most active, and to use an insect repellant that contains a chemical called deet.
Dunleavy says you can also limit the number of mosquitoes by limiting their breeding grounds. That can be done by draining anything that has standing water.
Dunleavy says as of late last week, there had been no confirmed reports of any dead birds in the county testing positive for West Nile. That isn’t the case in Clay county, where a dead bird has tested positive.
Dunleavy says symptoms of West Nile can be deceptive because they closely resemble the flu. They include muscle aches, headaches, body aches, and a fever. A rash and swollen lymph glands are also commonly associated with the disease. The elderly and very young are most vulnerable to West Nile Virus.
Dunleavy urges anyone exhibiting those symptoms to see their physician as soon as possible.
State health officials reported last Thursday that a northeast Iowa man in his 70’s became ill with the West Nile Virus around July first.
